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Governorate, oasis and city
AlUla Governorate lies in northwestern Saudi Arabia and belongs administratively to Madinah Region. AlUla is used for both the city and the wider governorate containing it, while the oasis occupies part of the governorate's land.
Farming in an arid setting
AlUla's oasis contains date-palm groves and citrus farms. Access to water and suitable agricultural soil helped support settlement. Buildings and orchards share the valley amid dry desert surroundings, with a general climate of hot summers and cooler winters.
Natural rocks and carved monuments
Sandstone cliffs surround the valley, and the wider AlUla area includes wadis, canyons and rock formations. Elephant Rock is one example shaped by natural erosion. In contrast, Hegra's tomb facades north of the city were carved by people, and Hegra is one of the governorate's archaeological sites.
Related topics
- RegionMadinah RegionA western Saudi region combining Madinah, Yanbu, AlUla and other governorates, with Islamic landmarks, oases, archaeological sites and a Red Sea coastline.
- HistoricAlUla Old TownAlUla Old Town is a historic settlement in the centre of AlUla Governorate, preserving an earthen urban fabric of hundreds of houses, markets and historic passageways. It was selected among the Best Tourism Villages in the World for 2022.
- HistoricElephant Rock (Jabal AlFil)Elephant Rock (Jabal AlFil) is a massive rock formation in AlUla Governorate, in the Madinah Region. Resembling an elephant in form and rising about 52 metres above ground, it is one of the most prominent geological landmarks and tourist destinations in AlUla [1][2].
- HistoricAlUla SeasonAlUla Season is a tourism and cultural season in AlUla Governorate in north-western Saudi Arabia. It is part of the Saudi Seasons initiative and its most prominent event is the Winter at Tantora festival, organised by the Royal Commission for AlUla.
- EventHejaz RailwayThe Hejaz Railway is a railway line ordered to be built in March 1900, with work beginning in 1900, to link the Muslims of the northern Arabian Peninsula with the Holy Places; it runs from Damascus station to Madinah station. The first train reached Madinah on 22 Rajab 1326 AH, corresponding to 23 August 1908, and the line operated for about nine years. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today preserves its station, its museum and its antiquities in the Tabuk and Madinah regions.
- HistoricKhaybar Lava FieldKhaybar Lava Field is a volcanic field in the Madinah Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the largest harrat in the Kingdom by area, estimated at about 21,500 square kilometers. It contains Jabal Al-Qidr, listed among the world's top 100 geological sites, three rare volcanoes, and lava tubes among the longest in the Arab world.
- EventIncense Trade RouteThe Incense Trade Route is a trade artery established by the caravans from the south of the Arabian Peninsula between Makkah and Madinah, on to the Levant to the north and Al-Ahsa and Bahrain to the east. Stations along its course include Qaryat al-Faw, AlUla and the Hegra site, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reviving this legacy today through cultural and tourism projects.
- EventShami Hajj RouteThe Shami Hajj Route is a historic course taken by pilgrims coming from the Levant to Makkah and Madinah, which for long centuries served as a main artery for the passage of caravans and a civilisational route linking the parts of the Islamic world. It runs from Damascus through archaeological forts and stations until Madinah, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to develop it with modern roads and integrated services for pilgrims and Umrah performers.
- HistoricArabian GazelleThe Arabian Gazelle is among the wildlife species that receive sustained protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through extensive nature reserves, breeding programmes and reintroduction into natural habitats. Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve recorded three newborn Arabian Gazelles in the At-Taysiyah area during the second quarter of 2026.
- EventKingdom of DadanThe Kingdom of Dadan is an ancient Arabian kingdom in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula; the city of Dadan was its historic capital and later the capital of the Kingdom of Lihyan, with its period extending from the late ninth century BCE. It is located in AlUla Governorate and contains tombs carved into red rock slopes and Dadanitic inscriptions on Jabal Ikmah.
- HistoricMarayaMaraya Concert Hall is a building and theatre in Wadi Ashar in AlUla Governorate, north-west of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recorded by Guinness World Records as the largest mirrored building in the world. Its facade is clad in 9,740 square metres of mirrors, and its indoor theatre seats more than 500.
- EventKingdom of LihyanThe Kingdom of Lihyan is an ancient Arab kingdom that flourished in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula, specifically in the AlUla region, and it followed the Kingdom of Dadan in ruling the area. Its influence extended from the sixth century to the second century BC. Its inscriptions documented its religious thought, its offerings, its civilisational standing and its school of sculpture, and among the most prominent sites connected with it are the Umm Daraj site and the Al-Khuraybah site.